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Vitamin String Quartet

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Vitamin String Quartet
Background information
Also known asVSQ
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresModern classical
Years active1999 (1999)–present
LabelsVitamin
Websitevitaminstringquartet.com

Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) is an American musical group from Los Angeles known for its series of tribute albums to rock and pop acts.

VSQ is a series of string quartet projects developed and produced by CMH Records, an independent record company based in Los Angeles. The CMH team works with an evolving cast of arrangers, producers, string players, and other creatives on each project. Their albums are released through Vitamin Records and are primarily performed by a string quartet, although other instruments have been used. "Vitamin String Quartet is about applying rock n' roll attitude to classical technique," said Tom Tally,[1] a violist and arranger who has performed on and produced over 50 Vitamin String Quartet albums.

Their albums feature various genres, including pop and rock, metal, emo, punk, techno, country, and hip-hop, and a wide variety of groups, such as The Beach Boys, Gorillaz, Oasis, 311, Depeche Mode, Simple Plan, Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Offspring, Rush, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Senses Fail, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Bruce Springsteen, Crossfade, Jimi Hendrix, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, System of a Down, The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Slayer, Kanye West, Adele, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey, among others. Their discography includes over 400 albums.

The group began in 1999 "as an experiment in transforming rock and pop songs with classical instruments."[2] It later expanded to include a variety of popular music.[2]

From 2012 until 2014, their music was played 24 hours a day on the FM broadcast station WWHK in Concord, New Hampshire.[3]

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In 2008, VSQ contributed a recording of "Jack and Sally Montage" to Nightmare Revisited, on which the original score for the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas was reinterpreted by bands like Tiger Army, The All-American Rejects, Plain White T's, Rise Against, and DeVotchKa.

Songs by Vitamin String Quartet were featured on the Fox television show So You Think You Can Dance[4] twice in 2008. "Control" from Vitamin String Quartet Tribute To Janet Jackson appeared on an episode that aired on July 30, 2008, and "Hallelujah" from Vitamin String Quartet Tribute To Paramore appeared on an episode that aired the day after. Songs appeared again on the show in Season 6 in 2009. Legacy Perez used "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West as a track for a solo elimination dance that aired December 9, 2009. "Yellow", originally by Coldplay, featured on the show with guest dancers on the Top 10 elimination show, The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. This episode aired on December 2, 2009.

In June 2009, they branched out by including a few original songs on their album Perversions, which also included covers of bands such as Broken Social Scene, No Age, and Sigur Rós.[5]

Two songs from Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Coldplay, "Yellow" and "Clocks," were used in an episode of the TV show The Vampire Diaries on April 22, 2010.[6]

In 2011, Vitamin String Quartet backed Thirty Seconds to Mars for their MTV Unplugged performance and appeared on the EP recording of the concert.

Vitamin String Quartet covered INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart" and Pat Benatar's "We Belong" in the 100th episode of Gossip Girl.[7][8][9]

Vitamin String Quartet's cover of "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros was featured in the finale of the fifth season of Modern Family on May 21, 2014.

Vitamin String Quartet's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Something I Can Never Have" was featured in the fifth episode of the first season of the HBO series Westworld, "Contrapasso", and their cover of Radiohead's "Motion Picture Soundtrack" was featured in episode six, "The Adversary".

Vitamin String Quartet's cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Scar Tissue" was featured on the soundtrack of King of Staten Island in 2020.

Vitamin String Quartet has many covers featured in the Netflix series Bridgerton, such as Nirvana's "Stay Away" and Robyn's "Dancing On My Own".[10] Covers of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" and Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" were used in the 2024 Doctor Who episode "Rogue," serving as an homage to Bridgerton.

Partial discography

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0–9

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  • The String Quartet Tribute to 3 Doors Down
  • The String Quartet Tribute to 311

A

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B

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C

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D

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E

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F

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  • String Quartet Tribute to Fall Out Boy
  • String Quartet Tribute to Fall Out Boy Vol. 2
  • Strung Out on Fiona Apple: A String Quartet Tribute
  • String Quartet Tribute to Finger Eleven
  • String Quartet Tribute to The Flaming Lips
  • String Quartet Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
  • Rumours: The String Quartet Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs the Tribute to Flyleaf
  • The Magnificent Seven Series: Strung Out on Foo Fighters [EP]
  • Shape and Colour of My Heart: The String Quartet Tribute to Foo Fighters
  • Unravel: The String Quartet Tribute to The Fray

G

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H

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  • String Quartet Tribute to PJ Harvey
  • Arteries Untold: The String Quartet Tribute to Hawthorne Heights
  • String Quartet Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
  • Uninhibited: String Quartet Tribute to Hinder
  • Leave Nothing Behind: Strung Out on Hoobastank - The String Quartet Tribute
  • The String Quartet Tribute to HIM

I

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  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Imogen Heap
  • VSQ Performs Imagine Dragons
  • String Quartet Tribute to Incubus
  • New Skin: The String Quartet Tribute to Incubus Vol. 2
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Incubus Vol. 3
  • Anatomy of Evil - The String Quartet Tribute to Iron Maiden
  • Interstellar: The String Quartet Tribute to Interpol
  • Strung Out on INXS: The String Quartet Tribute

J

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K

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  • The String Quartet Tribute to Kanye West
  • String Quartet Tribute to Kasabian: Processed Strings
  • The String Quartet Tribute to The Killers
  • String Quartet Tribute to KISS
  • Hurt Inside: A String Quartet Tribute to KoЯn

L

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M

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N

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O

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P

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  • Strung Out on Panic! at the Disco: A String Quartet Tribute
  • String Quartet Tribute to Panic! at the Disco's Pretty. Odd.
  • Perfect Murder: Strung Out on Papa Roach
  • String Quartet Tribute to Passenger (singer)'s Let Her Go
  • The Magnificent Seven Series: The String Quartet Tribute to Paramore [EP]
  • Strung Out on Paramore: String Quartet Tribute to Paramore
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Paramore's Brand New Eyes
  • The String Quartet Tribute to Pearl Jam
  • Mad World: Strung Out on Pearl Jam: A String Quartet Tribute
  • Vitamin String Quartet: Perversions
  • Fervent: String Quartet Tribute to A Perfect Circle
  • The String Quartet Tribute to A Perfect Circle
  • The String Quartet Tribute to Phish
  • String Quartet Tribute to Pink Floyd
  • More Bricks: The String Quartet Tribute to Pink Floyd's The Wall
  • String Quartet Tribute to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Weezer's Pinkerton
  • String Quartet Tribute to Pixies
  • Revolution: The String Quartet Tribute to P.O.D.
  • Symphonic Tribute to Purple Rain
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Prince (2023)
  • The String Quartet Tribute to Puddle Of Mudd

Q

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  • String Quartet Tribute to Queen
  • Strings For The Deaf: The String Quartet Tribute to Queens of the Stone Age
  • String Quartet Tribute to Queens of the Stone Age Vol.2

R

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  • Enigmatic: The String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead
  • Strung Out on Kid A: The String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead
  • Strung Out on In Rainbows: Vitamin String Quartet Performs Radiohead's In Rainbows
  • Strung Out on OK Computer: The String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead
  • Freedom: Tribute to Rage Against the Machine
  • String Quartet Tribute to Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
  • String Quartet Tribute to R.E.M.
  • String Quartet Tribute to R.E.M. Vol. 2
  • String Quartet Tribute to The Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • String Quartet Tribute to Regina Spektor
  • String Quartet Tribute to Relient K
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Rise Against
  • String Quartet Tribute to The Rolling Stones
  • Exit... Stage Right: The String Quartet Tribute to Rush
  • String Quartet Tribute to Rush’s 2112
  • Through the Prism: The Classical Tribute to Rush

S

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T

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  • The Magnificent Seven Series: The String Quartet Tribute to Thrice [EP]

U

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  • Strung Out on U2: The String Quartet Tribute
  • Still Strung Out on U2: The String Quartet Vol. 2
  • String Quartet Tribute to U2's The Joshua Tree
  • The Vitamin String Quartet Plays U2's No Line on the Horizon
  • Painted Red: Strung Out on Underoath
  • Strung Out on The Used: The String Quartet Tribute

V

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W

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  • Dad, Get Me Out of This!: The String Quartet Tribute to Warren Zevon
  • Come on and Kick Me!: The String Quartet Tribute to Weezer
  • Pull This String: String Quartet Tribute to Weezer (re-release)
  • String Quartet Tribute to The White Stripes
  • The String Quartet Tribute to The Who's Tommy
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs We Belong

Y

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  • Olympus: The String Quartet Tribute to Yanni
  • String Quartet Tribute to Yellowcard
  • Rusted Moon: The String Quartet Tribute to Neil Young

Miscellaneous and compilations

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  • Blood Curdling Strings: VSQ Pays Tribute to Horror Classics (2011)
  • The Gay Wedding Collection (2008)
  • The Geek Wedding Collection (2015)
  • Geek Wedding 2: The Sequel (2016)
  • Geek Wedding Forever Vol. 3 (2019)
  • The Gothic Wedding Collection (2008)
  • Modern Wedding Collection
  • Modern Wedding Collection, Vol. 2
  • My Metal Valentine (2008)
  • The Rock 'n' Roll Wedding Collection (2008)
  • The Rock 'n' Roll Valentine's Day Collection (2008)
  • Songbirds: A VSQ Tribute to the Women of Modern Rock
  • The String Quartet Tribute to Valentine's Day (2008)
  • Strung Out Volume 1: The String Quartet Tribute to Modern Rock Hits
  • Strung Out Volume 2: The String Quartet Tribute to Modern Rock Hits
  • Strung Out Volume 3: The String Quartet Tribute to Alternative Rock Hits
  • Strung Out Volume 4: The String Quartet Tribute to Hard Rock Hits
  • Strung Out Volume 5: The String Quartet Tribute to 2007's Best Songs
  • Strung Out Volume 6: The String Quartet Tribute to Music's Biggest Hits
  • Strung Out Volume 7: The String Quartet Tribute
  • Vitamin String Quartet Presents Strung Out Volume 8
  • Vitamin String Quartet Presents Strung Out Volume 9
  • Strung Out Vol. 10
  • Strung Out Vol. 11: VSQ Tribute to Modern Rock Hits
  • Strung Out on Indie Rock Vol. 1: The String Quartet Tribute (2008)
  • The Tribute to Guitar Hero: Killer Tracks! (2008)
  • Valentine's Day Massacre: The Emo Anti-Valentine's Day Collection (2008)
  • The Vitamin String Quartet: The Tribute to Guitar Hero (2008)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs the Hits of 2012, Vol. 1
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs The Hunger Games
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Music from the Films of John Hughes
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Music from the Films of Wes Anderson
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs the Songs from Glee (2009)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Music from Twilight (2008)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Music from Twilight Vol. 2 (2009)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Twilight: New Moon (2009)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Twilight: Eclipse (2010)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Power Ballads
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Harry Potter (2010)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Star Wars (2010)
  • Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to the Ladies of 90s Alt Rock
  • VSQ Tribute: 90s Rock Hits
  • VSQ Tribute to Alternative Hits of the 90s
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Modern Rock Hits 2011, Vol. 1
  • Vitamin String Quartet Performs Modern Rock Hits 2011, Vol. 2
  • VSQ Performs Modern Rock Hits 2012, Vol. 1
  • VSQ Performs Modern Rock Hits 2012, Vol. 2

References

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  1. ^ Vitamin String Quartet (2009). "VSQ Biography". Vitamin String Quartet. Archived from the original on February 20, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Vitamin String Quartet (2013). "VSQ: A Brief History". Vitamin String Quartet. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  3. ^ Lavoie, Rebecca (August 8, 2012). "From Classic Rock to Classical Pop". www.nhpr.org. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "So You Think You Can Dance 2008: Top 6 PERFORMANCE SHOW Recap". Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  5. ^ "Vitamin String Quartet: Per_Versions". Vitamin Records. Archived from the original on June 7, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  6. ^ Vampire Diaries Music – Episode 19 – Miss Mystic Falls | Vampire Diaries Spoilers and News
  7. ^ "Gossip Girl Music - Season 5, Episode 13". The CW. January 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  8. ^ Marsi, Steve (January 31, 2012). "Gossip Girl Music From "G.G."". TV Fanatic. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  9. ^ Eckstein, David (January 25, 2012). "Gossip Girl EP: We've been 'planning Blair's wedding since the pilot'". Zap2it. Archived from the original on January 31, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  10. ^ Etienne, Vanessa (January 12, 2021). "Why Netflix's Bridgerton Soundtrack Is Surprisingly Familiar". Men's Health. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  11. ^ Download The String Quartet Tribute to Alice in Chains by Vitamin String Quartet | eMusic
  12. ^ Top Videos | Popular Videos[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ The first run of the album was printed with incorrect album art, as well as listing in the wrong order the tracks— which were hand picked by Mike Portnoy and covered the band's history from When Dream And Day Unite to Train Of Thought. This was corrected in later prints of the album. People with the incorrect art could contact Vitamin Records for a replacement copy. James Curtiss, the Project Coordinator of Vitamin Records, said that the incorrect packaging should be called "a collector's item and leave it at that", as well as stating that "sonically we nailed the sucker, but on the manufacturing side of things, we dropped the ball." (see the official Dream Theater site here Archived October 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine and here Archived October 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine .)
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